The ship’s crew presented the Maui Council and the
Lahaina Yacht Club, which also hosted the ship, with
a surface warriors flag that is displayed in the club.
Navy League and club members presented the ship
with a yacht club burgee. The crew also opened John
Paul Jones for tours for Navy League and Yacht Club
members, Brazil said.

Nebraska President Has Busy Veterans Day

Butch Kirkland, president of the Nebraska Council,
spoke at a pair of Veterans Day events on Nov. 11, one a
high school assembly and the other to recognize a survivor of the sinking of USS Indianapolis. He described
both as “small-town USA affairs” that brought back
memories of his rural upbringing in Georgia.

In an e-mail, which is excerpted below, Kirkland
recounted his Veterans Day experience, starting with
the assembly at Fort Calhoun High School at which 400
people attended, including students and veterans.

“My wife and I traveled the 15 miles north of
Omaha to make the appearance. … The entire school
system attended the Veterans Day program in the high
school gym. Two high school students emceed the
event and did a superb job.

“The high school band and chorus performed. The
elementary school also did a music presentation. Service
melodies were played by the band and respective members of their services stood when played. All veterans
were recognized publicly at the program, and lunch was
served to us all by the high school students. It was a
very moving experience for me.

“Later in the evening, I participated in a town hall
program in Tecumseh to recognize Petty Officer 1st
Class Clarence Hupka, one of the 316 survivors of the
sinking of USS Indianapolis in July 1945 in the South
Pacific, by a Japanese submarine.

“Hupka is 94 years old and doing well. The Navy
League presented him a memorable plaque to recognize
his patriotism and determination in surviving the terrible
incident. He survived shark-infested waters for five days
before being rescued and did not know how to swim. The
fact that he survived is nothing short of remarkable.

“This event was also very moving and reminded me
of the solid foundation that exists in small-town USA.”

Councils Honor Navy Birthday, Navy Day

The Sarasota-Manatee, Fla., Council honored the
Navy’s 241st birthday with a dinner Oct. 26 at the Bird
Key Yacht Club attended by more than 100 people.

The guest speaker was Vice Adm. Sean Pybus, deputy
commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, at
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.